Street Photography with the Phottix Hero

There’s an allure to street photography, capturing fleeting moments of unknown passers-by, telling a story of infinite words with a single image. Sitting in you studio shooting flowers is one thing, taking that award-winning image in the seedy underbelly of a modern metropolis is something else entirely.

Not everyone has the moxie for street photography. Aggressiveness aside, learning how to shoot street scenes is a technical challenge. Shooting candid images of people is difficult. People move, turn their heads, bend to tie a shoe lace. Just as you compose the shot you think will speak to a generation your subject sneezes and you are left with a blurry RAW file. Taking a great street photograph is about speed, technique, and luck. For every 100 photos you take you’ll find a keeper, for every 1000 – one that’s stellar.

You want to be the next Garry Winogrand or Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, but don’t want to take a beating from angry subjects: What are you to do? Take photos on the sly…like a DSLR wielding 007.

Taken candidly with the Phottix Hero Wireless Live View Remote system

The Phottix Hero Wireless Live View remote is a great tool to learn the ebb and flow of street photography, while maintaining a low profile. Purists probably won’t agree, but we’re not all purists. Some shooters have chutzpah, most don’t.

The Phottix Hero is a wireless remote system comprised of a micro viewfinder camera and transmitter, and a wireless receiver and shutter release. You can see what your camera sees on a color LCD screen up to 100 meters away from your camera. The remote allows you to focus and release the shutter.

Whether you learning the ropes of candid street photography or want to be incognito, the Phottix Hero allows you to shoot without raising a DSLR to your eye. Plant yourself on a bench or in a chair at a café. Have a camera around your neck or on your lap. Set to your mode of choice, P, aperture priority or shutter priority. The Phottix Hero receiver in your left hand and the lens zoom ring in your right allow you to scope out a scene, compose, focus, and record images.

Take photos without making yourself an object of attention. Learn how people move, learn composition and timing. With a Phottix Hero, a little practice and some success, you might develop a little chutzpah and get past your initial fears.